A biosensor is an analytical device for detection of an analyte involved in a biological process. For example, the analyte may be a DNA, a protein, a metabolite, or even a living organism (e.g., bacteria, virus).
A biosensor usually has a probe that interacts with the analyte. The probe may be designed to bind or recognize the analyte. Examples of the probe may include antibodies, aptamers, DNAs, RNAs, antigens, etc. Interaction between the probe and the analyte may lead to one or more detectable event. For example, the detectable event may be release of a chemical species or a particle (e.g., a quantum dot), a chemical reaction, luminescence (e.g., chemiluminescence, bioluminescence, electrochemiluminescence, electroluminescence, photoluminescence, fluorescence, phosphorescence), change in a physical property (e.g., Raman scattering, color) or chemical property (e.g., reactivity, reaction rate).
A biosensor may have a detector that can detect the detectable event as a result of the interaction. The detector may transform the detectable event into another signal (e.g., image, electrical signal) that can be more easily measured and quantified. The detector may include circuitry that obtains data from the detectable event and processes the data.
One type of biosensor is microarrays. A microarray can be a two-dimensional array on a solid substrate (e.g., a glass slide, a silicon wafer). The array may have different assays at different locations. The assays at different locations may be independent controlled or measured, thereby allowing multiplexed and parallel sensing of one or many analytes. A microarray may be useful in miniaturizing diagnosis assays. For example, a microarray may be used for detecting biological samples in the fields without sophisticated equipment, or be used by a patient who is not in a clinic or hospital to monitor his or her physiological symptoms.